Senior Sensory Technologist

Protea Recruitment Ltd | Food | Drinks | FMCG Recruitment Partner; Milton Keynes; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Private medical insurance

Enhanced pension

25 days annual leave + bank holidays

Life assurance

Job summary

Protea Recruitment Ltd is seeking a Senior Sensory Technologist to join the Innovation team in Buckinghamshire. You will lead sensory and consumer studies from concept to launch, translating insights into decisions that drive product development across a diverse portfolio.

You will collaborate with Product Development, Marketing and Technical teams, applying quantitative and qualitative methods, and using tools like RedJade/XLSTAT/R to deliver impactful recommendations.

Qualifications

• Degree in Food Science, Sensory Science or related discipline.
• Significant experience in sensory science or consumer insights within food/FMCG.
• Strong qualitative and quantitative sensory methodologies knowledge.
• Experience with RedJade, XLSTAT or R for data analysis.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to communicate complex data clearly and engage stakeholders.
• Experience working in cross-functional innovation or product development teams.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead sensory and consumer research programmes across innovation and product optimisation.
• Design and execute sensory studies using quantitative and qualitative methods.
• Manage studies from design through analysis and presentation of results.
• Translate data into actionable, commercially relevant recommendations.
• Present insights to technical, commercial and senior stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Product Development, Marketing, and Technical teams to embed learning.
• Identify trends to support future innovation strategies.
• Champion best practice in sensory science and evaluate new methodologies.

Skills

Sensory science

Data interpretation

Statistical analysis

Cross-functional collaboration

Presentation skills

Education

Degree in Food Science or Sensory Science

Tools

RedJade

XLSTAT

R

Job description

Senior Sensory Technologist

Location

Buckinghamshire

The Opportunity

Our client is a leading international food manufacturer with an exciting portfolio of well-known consumer brands. They are seeking an experienced Senior Sensory Technologist to join their Innovation team, playing a key role in ensuring consumer and sensory insights drive product development and business decisions.

Working as part of a collaborative cross-functional team, you'll lead sensory and consumer research programmes that support innovation, product optimisation and continuous improvement across a diverse product portfolio. This is an excellent opportunity to influence products from concept through to launch while working with a business that places consumers at the centre of everything it does.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead sensory and consumer research programmes across innovation, renovation and product optimisation projects.
• Design and execute sensory and consumer studies using appropriate quantitative and qualitative methodologies.
• Manage projects from study design through to analysis, interpretation and presentation of results.
• Translate complex data into clear, commercially relevant recommendations that influence product development.
• Present insights to technical, commercial and senior stakeholders to support decision making.
• Work closely with Product Development, Marketing, Consumer Insight and Technical teams to embed consumer learning throughout the innovation process.
• Identify market, category and competitor trends to support future innovation strategies.
• Champion best practice in sensory science and continuously evaluate new methodologies and technologies.
• Build strong relationships across the business to maximise the value of sensory and consumer insight.

About You

We're looking for someone with a strong background in sensory science who enjoys working collaboratively and influencing product decisions through data-driven insight.

• A degree in Food Science, Sensory Science, Consumer Science or a related discipline.
• Significant experience in sensory science or consumer technical insight within the food or FMCG industry.
• Strong understanding of both qualitative and quantitative sensory methodologies.
• Experience using statistical and sensory software such as RedJade, XLSTAT, R or similar.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
• The ability to interpret complex datasets and communicate findings in a clear and engaging way.
• Strong presentation and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working within cross-functional innovation or product development teams.
• Excellent organisation and project management skills.

What's on Offer

• Competitive salary
• Annual bonus
• Private medical insurance
• Enhanced pension
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Life assurance
• Flexible benefits package
• Ongoing professional development and career progression